1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to a low-noise plastic intercooler pipe having a multi-layered structure including: a skin layer preferably including a thermoplastic etherester elastomer and a soundproof core layer preferably including glass bubbles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, an intercooler pipe, as a pipe connecting a turbocharger and an intercooler, functions as a channel transporting air discharged from the turbocharger to the intercooler. Unburned gas from an engine becomes high-temperature and high-pressure gas while passing through the turbocharger, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gas is resupplied to a combustion chamber of the engine via the intercooler and an air intake manifold.
Conventional intercooler pipes for an automobile are generally formed of metal such as aluminum, or a metal pipe. For example, an aluminum pipe connected to a rubber hose has been described. However, since the metal intercooler pipe is heavy, weight reduction that is preferably in demand in the automotive industry is difficult to accomplish. Furthermore, a variety of processes, such as an injection molding of the rubber hose, a pultrusion molding and bending of the aluminum pipe, and a clamping process connecting the rubber hose to the aluminum pipe are required, and thus costs for manufacturing the metal intercooler pipe suitably increase.
Recently, a technique of manufacturing a plastic intercooler pipe using thermoplastic etherester elastomer by three-dimensional co-extrusion blow molding has been reported. However, the plastic intercooler pipe has decreased effects of blocking noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) compared to an aluminum pipe. Preferably, the density of the material that is used to form the intercooler pipe needs to be suitably increased to reduce aerodynamic noise, or the thickness of the intercooler pipe needs to be increased to reduce noise. In addition, the weight of the intercooler pipe and manufacturing costs suitably increase, and it is difficult to assemble the intercooler pipe into an automobile due to high flexural modulus.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a low-noise intercooler pipe.
The above information disclosed in this the Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.